Some Penhold residents not happy with the way town council is spending their tax dollars want the province to review council’s spending.
Resident Ken McCarthy is spearheading the campaign and started with a town meeting at his home in Penhold on Wednesday evening.
McCarthy said many residents feel their tax dollars are being thrown away on staffing the Regional Multiplex and the public works department.
He said he’s not happy with this year’s tax increase of 4.75 per cent.
McCarthy said he paid $4,700 on taxes in 2009 and now he is faced with a $5,200 tax bill in 2012 for his house valued at $449,000.
“With a $6.9-million budget for a town of 2,000,” said McCarthy, who has lived in Penhold for three years. “That’s ridiculous. We’re overloaded with employees in the public works, overloaded in the Penhold Multiplex. It’s just crazy.”
McCarthy said there needs to be a provincial review because something isn’t right. He has collected about 100 signatures on the petition. Another 700 are needed before he will submit it to the province.
Mayor Dennis Cooper has talked to McCarthy a few times about his concerns and said everyone is entitled to freedom of speech. Cooper said the tax increase is a result of the 2.2 per cent in municipal portion and 2.5 per cent in the education requisition to the province.
“The problem is when people get their tax bill all they see is, ‘I got this bill I have to pay,’” said Cooper. “They don’t realize a certain portion of it goes to the province. We are just the bill collectors.”
Cooper said the town is growing rapidly and there are very few services in the town.
“People would love to see a larger grocery store, a pharmacy or another gas station but when you look at our town, 95 per cent of the taxes fall on the backs of the homeowner,” said Cooper. “It’s hard. We haven’t raised our taxes in three years. With the raise of 4.75 per cent, it’s a big number.”
Cooper says he also questions the high number and every chance they get, he said town council tries to lower the cost to the taxpayers.
Cooper said council has lowered its mill rate so it’s almost equal to the County of Red Deer so the town can invite industrial and commercial into the town.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com